


Spring Chrysanthemums

by BabyChocoboAlchemist



Series: Bradley's Adventures at Happybell Farms [4]
Category: Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns, 牧場物語つながる新天地 | Story of Seasons
Genre: Acceptance of same-sex relationships, Anti-homophobia sentiments, First Love, Friendship, M/M, warmth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 09:17:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13499040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabyChocoboAlchemist/pseuds/BabyChocoboAlchemist
Summary: "They're for you. I got them for you because I love you, Wayne. I've been madly, head-over-heels in love with you for a while now. I just couldn't find the right words. But these flowers say everything I've been dying to tell you. I love you. You mean everything to me, Wayne." Bradley of Happybell Farms finally finds the perfect way to reveal his feelings for a certain warm-hearted postman.Unfortunately, it doesn't go as the young farmer planned. In celebration of Valentine's Day.(Thank you to those of you that read the older pieces in Bradley's series. It's been a while, but this is my way of responding to your warm, kind feedback.)





	Spring Chrysanthemums

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome, and thank you for coming!
> 
> This was written to celebrate Valentine's Day, and was inspired by the wonderful feedback I received for the other pieces in this series. It's been quite a long while since I wrote for Story of Seasons, but I still love my red-haired farmer and Wayne.

Bradley felt a little odd about giving the love of his life flowers.

It wasn't because the love of his life was a man, though. Fear of being discarded like rotten weeds over loving another man was erased quite a while ago, with both villages warmly accepting the idea of two men in a loving relationship. As long as there was a bond between two sound hearts and minds, who cared? Everything else was irrelevant. While isolation and heartbreak were daily visitors in the past, Bradley was showered in nothing but the warmest hospitality from the people of Westown. What business did any of them have fearing the sight of two men kissing, when there was so much to celebrate? So much to be thankful for, including the gift of true, everlasting love? Ford scowled at the thought of dismissing a same-sex relationship when a certain farmer brought the concept to his attention, panic-stricken over his blossoming feelings for the doctor's oldest friend. "Your lunacy knows no bounds," Elena's crush scowled, struggling to focus on the work at hand while listening to the farmer's fears. "No one cares if one man gives his heart, body and soul to another. There are far more important concerns to shoulder-and that goes for the citizens of both villages. The Harvest Goddess herself will bless such a union, as she has blessed every happy, prosperous union in the past. Now get on with yourself, before you become one of my test subjects!"

Every moment of every hour was dedicated to thanking his sister Elena, the one responsible for their move to Westown. If it hadn't been for her, the heartache would have continued. The loneliness, the hurt, the frustration-all of it still would have been a part of him, tormenting him, haunting his every step. There wouldn't have been any friends-just the ongoing laughter of classmates, and malevolent scowls from teachers. Absent parents and grandparents that kept themselves occupied with everything that had nothing to do with their grandchildren. Love, budding and graceful, wouldn't have been present-there would have only been the loss of his first love. The grief and pain that came from loving someone that found him disgusting. But-

There was that dream last night. That damn dream. Goddess, why did that dream have to make everything worse?

Wayne was constantly in the company of adoring, beautiful young women. However, thanks to Ford's warm, gentle encouragement ("He does nothing to encourage their attention, so get off of yourself and do something about your dilemma!"), the attention a certain postman received from those adoring fans was no longer a concern. However, dreaming of certain blonde draping himself over his bed, glittering in the gentle embers of evening, did Bradley absolutely no favors at all. While no longer having to see himself as a sick freak was a massive burst of fresh air, dreaming of a completely naked postman was a bit troublesome. After all, who could remain sane with thoughts of a velvety, warm voice, piercing blue eyes and soft, glistening skin running through their mind? 

So giving Wayne some flowers, in celebration of budding love, would be just a little bit difficult. It couldn't wait until tomorrow, because then the holiday would be over. Of course he could say he forget, what with everything going on around the farm, but then the moment wouldn't be right and it might rain tomorrow or the world might end and and and and-

The knocks on his front door had him trip over himself, white chrysanthemums in hand. Someone wanted to see either him or Elena. Elena wasn't around, out on errands, picking up either hay or vegetables or something having to do with a beautiful, radiant blue-eyed man at night, smiling and-

"Coming! Just a moment!"

His heart must've been racing a thousand miles a minute. Somehow, Bradley found the strength to answer the door-and on the other side was none other than-

"Hi there, sunshine. Goodness, are you all right?"

"Fine, fine," Elena's brother choked, trying to keep himself from suffocating over his own tongue. Choking off of it was bad enough. Then there were the flowers. Goddess, the flowers. The chrysanthemums he spilled while tripping over himself. Wayne shelved whatever important thing was on his mind to help retrieve them, his infinitely warm blue eyes alive with concern as he dashed into the farmer's home. 

Things couldn't possibly get any worse.

"Poor things! Here, I'll help you fetch them."

"No no no, it's okay, really, don't worry about it. I've-"

They collided, Elena's brother rushing to retrieve the fallen blossoms alongside the postman. Their hands met, their foreheads were an inch apart, and the young farmer's heart stopped. Everything stopped, sped up, crawled to a halt, became deafening and quiet and blindingly bright. Wayne was there, right there, just as close and warm as he was last-

"Sorry. Didn't mean t'throw you off like that. You all right, firebug?"

"Fine," Bradley croaked-again-unable to think of anything else to say. Goddess, he had the worst luck imaginable around Wayne. He bundled white petals into his arms, his cheeks as red as cherries, heart racing even faster once the postman chuckled. It was a warm, light sound that was pretty much poison to the farmer's veins.

"They are awfully beautiful. If you don't mind me asking, who are they for?"

"Ah, someone," Elena's brother replied, voice still very much like a frog's croak. "Just someone. You know, someone. Someone." And a certain someone couldn't think of anything else to say because not only had his tongue grown much too big for his mouth, his chest was tightening, his heart was racing a million miles a minute and the ceiling was caving in and and and-

The smile on Wayne's face caused time, space and fate to violently crash. Everything stopped. Everything stopped breathing, moving, being, all because of the warmth that broke out on the postman's face. 

"Well, whoever's gettin' 'em sure is lucky."

 _"They're meant for YOU,"_ the farmer wanted to say, the words burning holes in his heart, mind and soul, for being in love with another man, for being allowed to love another man, was a dizzying, nauseating experience. Being in love with what was surely the world's most beautiful man was another experience altogether. It was fun, electrifying, wonderful, terrifying, new, breathtaking, everything all at once. There was so much that needed to be said, so much burning as bright as the sun, but Wayne broke the silence, mind returning to the task at hand. "Brought packages for you 'n your sister, by the way," he revealed, returning his retrieved flowers to their owner. He then revealed two small boxes. "GIfts from your friends in the city, I imagine."

Bradley seized the packages with more force than intended, face either still as red as cherries or as white as snow. It was impossible to tell, as he felt unbearably hot and unbearably cold all at once. "Great, thanks," he replied, setting them and the flowers on the nearest counter. Time to make an attempt at a conversation. Boring Wayne by being one-note definitely wasn't something to cross off his to-do list.

"So! On your rounds, huh?"

"Sure am," the postman replied, tipping his hat. Goddess, those eyes. Those damn blue eyes. The same blue eyes that-

"I've had the honor of delivering quite a few gifts today. Does my heart good to make so many folks happy. Speaking o' happiness, I don't think I'm bringin' too much t'you, Brad. You sure you're all right?'

"Yeah, peachy. I'm great. Just comin' down with something." And cue the cough. "Not a big deal, really. Just, you know, been working a lot. Growing a lot of things and, you know, stuff. Being really busy really catches up with you. Goddess, it's hot in here. Is it hot in here to you?"

Wayne's frown was divinely soft, just as his eyes were. "Fraid not, sunshine. It's as right as rain t'me. If your good sister ain't around, I c'n-"

Bradley's response was instant. Wayne couldn't do anything. Wayne didn't have to do anything for him because Wayne was busy. Wayne had far more important things to do than be around a brain-dead farmer. "Oh no no no, it's fine, I'm fine, really," the red-haired young man urged him, shoving him towards the door. 

"Pretty sure you've got lots more deliveries to make, and can't make 'em hangin' around me, so off you go! Say hi to everyone for me! See you soon! Bye!"

He slammed the door shut and slumped against it, chest feeling heavier than the moon. Eyes directed heavenward, Bradley let out a loud, long groan, hand against his forehead.

"They're for you. I got them for you because I love you, Wayne. I've been madly, head-over-heels in love with you for a while now. I just couldn't find the right words. But these flowers say everything I've been dying to tell you. I love you. You mean everything to me, Wayne."

Cue a long, loud, agonized scream.

"Why was that so damn hard to say?! Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"


End file.
